1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a power generation control device, and more particularly to a power generation control device which performs a control such that an output current of a generator of an engine is supplied to a battery or a load only in a preset zone in which a friction of the engine is small.
2. Description of the Related Art
A vehicle driven by an engine such as a motorcycle or a four-wheeled vehicle can include a generator driven by the engine, and a battery which supplies electric power used by the vehicle is charged with an output current of the generator. Further, in general, the vehicle-mounted generator is also used as a motor for starting the engine.
There has been known that a quantity of generated electric power generated by the vehicle-mounted generator is variably controlled corresponding to a load of the engine. For example, JP-T-3-504407 (JP '407) proposes an AC generator battery charging method which stops a power generation function when a battery voltage reaches a predetermined level, wherein the method can, when a large load is applied to the engine, prevent lowering of efficiency of the engine by stopping or reducing a power generation function of an AC generator even when a battery is not charged to the predetermined level.
Further, JP-A-3-212200 (JP '200) proposes a control device which controls a field wiring current corresponding to an electric load state or an operation state of an automobile when the control device is applied to the automobile, wherein a field current of a generator is controlled at the time of occurrence of knocking and stops the field current.